Alec Baldwin's malicious-prosecution lawsuit over Rust dismissed on immunity grounds
Alec Baldwin's lawsuit accusing Santa Fe officials of malicious prosecution over the Rust shooting case has been dismissed by a US federal judge.
US District Judge Kea Riggs ruled that the prosecutor at the centre of the claim is entitled to immunity, ending Baldwin's civil rights action over the criminal charges brought against him, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Riggs concluded that special prosecutor Kari Morrissey is shielded by absolute prosecutorial immunity. The judge found the claims against the prosecutors could not proceed because the alleged misconduct fell within the scope of their official duties.
That protection covers work done while preparing and presenting a criminal case. It applies even when the conduct alleged is serious.
Riggs said the allegations painted what she called a very disturbing picture of malicious prosecution. She wrote that immunity only works if it holds in hard cases, even when it protects gross misconduct.
She added that the law accepts leaving some wrongs done by an allegedly dishonest prosecutor unaddressed, rather than leaving prosecutors who try to do their duty in constant fear of retaliatory lawsuits.
Baldwin had alleged that prosecutors intentionally concealed evidence that would have cleared him and pursued him for political gain. He claimed Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies and Morrissey manipulated evidence and elicited false testimony to blame him and secure a conviction.
The court said immunity covered Morrissey's alleged withholding of firearm analyses, failure to disclose evidence, and false testimony at trial. One withheld analysis referred to unexplained toolmarks on the trigger mechanism of the gun that fired.
The criminal case behind the lawsuit concerned the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in 2021 during filming of Rust, reported by the Associated Press. Baldwin faced a charge of involuntary manslaughter.
His criminal trial ended in dismissal in 2024 after a hearing about live ammunition handed to the Santa Fe Sheriff's Office by retired Arizona police officer Troy Teske. The bullets were not inventoried with the Rust case file, effectively hiding them from the defence teams for Baldwin and armourer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed.
In that criminal case, the trial judge found the prosecution had intentionally and deliberately withheld key evidence from the defence. The court also concluded that Morrissey had repeatedly failed to meet disclosure obligations and had given inconsistent testimony about the withheld material.
Baldwin's malicious-prosecution lawsuit was first filed in state district court in Santa Fe. It was dismissed in July 2025 for lack of activity and reinstated in September at Baldwin's request, before moving to federal court.
